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How an IT Director Launched a Company to Help Schools Save Money and Improve Support
K12itc, a company that recently expanded its services to Arizona, is helping school districts across the country better manage their information technology services budget while providing teachers the real-time support they need in the classroom. ASBA’s newest VIP sponsor and the premier sponsor for the Summer Leadership Institute is excited to work with school districts in Arizona.
Many school districts spend a lot of time finding and training technology professionals and making sure that their rapidly changing technology is functioning….view full article here.
We Are Done!!! One More School Year in the Books!
By Torri Anderson, ASBA Secretary
The last student has walked across the stage, grabbed their diploma, snapped a picture for mom and dad then danced off. The last elementary student has stepped off the bus and runs home to a summer of possibilities. Now, the last big yellow school bus has pulled into the bus barn for some much-needed rest, repair and rejuvenation. Our teachers are exhausted but, still happy enough to skip to their cars.
As a board member, it has been a privilege to have a front-row seat to each of our school celebrations. We beam with pride at the accomplishments of our future leaders, knowing that this is only the beginning of “real” life for each of them. For me, as I watched the last student walk across the stage, I think about all the miles and hours each one of them has spent as a passenger on our big yellow school buses. How many times did the bus break down or get stuck in traffic while riding to and from school? How much will it cost to repair the bus fleet before school starts and will we have enough bus drivers?
All these random thoughts bring me back to reality; the school year is not over for school board members. Our work continues, school board members must be leaders in our school districts and in our communities 365 days a year. It is our responsibility to equitably educate every child. This responsibility becomes greater and more difficult each year as our social, economic and technological changes outpace our state and federal budgets. Before you become complete over-whelmed, here is a bit of advice from Oliver Wendall Holmes:
“The greatest thing in this world is not where we are, but in what direction we are moving.”
What direction are we moving in? Summer for us is an opportunity to move forward by updating our board goals, scrutinizing our districts’ 2019-20 school year budgets; reading and updating our policies to make sure our current practice follows the policy. We can also dedicate time to educate ourselves, by attending as many board training opportunities as humanly possible, budget allowing. Let’s also not forget, if we are going to move forward:
“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” Theodore Roosevelt
Summer is a great time to create and build stronger relationships with our communities, superintendents, fellow board members and our state legislators.
Our summer is not the end of a school year, but the beginning of our journey into the 2019-20 school year and beyond. Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you at the next ASBA board training!
It’s Your Time to Shine! Present at ASBA’s Annual Conference
We are calling for proposals for our Annual Conference, December 17-19, from school districts and other organizations for high-quality, breakout sessions that focus on topics of critical interest to school board members.
This year we are seeking submissions that address any of these general themes:
- A. Meeting the social/emotional needs of students
- B. Systemic inclusion of student’s voice in district decision-making
- C. Teacher recruitment and retention strategies. (Include year-over-year retention/recruitment rates)
- D. How to build and grow successful community partnerships
- E. Embedding equity: Strategies for incorporating equity into curriculum, or school culture, policy, staffing, budgeting or district structure
ASBA Offers Internships in Media Productions for High School Students
AZEdNews Launches Classroom Grant Program for Teachers
AZEdNews is celebrating its 5th year anniversary by giving back to teachers with $200 classroom grants! AZEdNews awards grants to teachers that enhance classroom learning. Describe how the initiative or program impacts student achievement and how it reflects the priorities of the governing board and district. Grant winners are selected each quarter in September, December, February and April. Apply now!
ASBA Is Your One-Stop-Shop for Superintendent Searches
From helping your board become search ready to launching a statewide or nationwide search, to assisting you with a smooth transition post-search – we’ve got you covered.
Summer Is a Perfect Time to Schedule a Board Retreat
Summer is the perfect time for your senior leadership team to schedule a board retreat. Research shows that board-superintendent teams that participate together in professional development are more effective. The training and facilitation team at ASBA is ready to help you plan a productive and educational board retreat.
We have developed workshops that can be combined into full or half-day training. And we’re unique because we both are sitting board members and have extensive experience working with boards from all demographics, from urban to rural to remote. If you don’t see a perfect training session for you, give us a call! We can customize training just for your district.
Training slots fill up fast so contact us soon to secure the perfect time for your board retreat!
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Nikkie Whaley
Board Support Specialist
nwhaley@azsba.org
602-254-1100
Julie Bacon
Leadership Development Specialist
jbacon@azsba.org
602-254-1100
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